Search Results (7)

Salinity is a major problem, impeding soil productivity, agricultural sustainability, and food security, particularly in dry regions. This study integrates quinoa, a facultative halophyte, into a pomegranate-based agroforestry with saline irrigation in northeast Morocco. We aim to explore this agroforestry model’s potential in mitigating salinity’s effects on quinoa’s agronomic and biochemical traits and evaluate the land equivalent ratio (LER). Field experiments in 2020 and 2021 used a randomized block design with three replicates, including monocropping and agroforestry systems, two salinity levels (1.12 and 10.5 dS m⁻¹), four quinoa genotypes (Titicaca, Puno, ICBA-Q4, ICBA-Q5), and a pomegranate control. Salinity significantly decreased total dry matter (40.5%), root dry matter (50.7%), leaf dry matter (39.2%), and root-to-shoot ratio (7.7%). The impact was more severe in monoculture than in agroforestry, reducing dry matter (47.6% vs. 30.7%), grain yield (46.3% vs. 26.1%), water productivity (47.5% vs. 23.9%), and total sugar (19.2% vs. 5.6%). LER averaged 1.86 to 2.21, indicating 86–121% higher productivity in agroforestry. LER averaged 1.85 at 1.12 dS m⁻¹ and 2.18 at 10.5 dS m⁻¹, reaching 2.21 with pomegranate-ICBA-Q5 combination. Quinoa–pomegranate agroforestry emerges as an innovative strategy, leveraging quinoa’s salt resistance and agroforestry’s potential to mitigate salinity impacts while enhancing land use efficiency. Full article

The scarcity of water resources is considered a major threat and challenge for agriculture. Water limitations could strongly affect the growth and development of many crops including quinoa, a nutrition-rich, climate-resilient crop that is gaining attention globally. Organic amendment application has been reported as a suitable option to mitigate the detrimental impacts of water shortage on soil and plant growth. In this context, two experiments were conducted on Chenopodium quinoa “Titicaca”; in the first experiment, we investigated the effect of different organic amendments, namely woodchips biochar (Bw), vineyard pruning biochar (Bv), and vermicompost (V), applied (alone and mixed) at 2% soil dry weight, on soil properties and the plant biomass of quinoa subjected to a water stress period during vegetative development. Among organic amendments tested, Bw and Bw+V increased plant biomass on average by 15%, while Bv and Bv+V reduced the plant biomass by 62% compared to non-amended soil (C). A significant reduction in soil pH was observed with Bw (7.61), while BV increased pH (8.04) compared to C (7.76). The Bw and Bv also reduced soil bulk density (BD) (1.19 g/m³ and 1.13 g/m³, respectively) compared to C (1.28 g/m³). As Bw performed better in the first experiment, the second experiment assessed only Bw at different doses, i.e., 0%, 2%, and 4% under water shortage by restoring only 50% evapotranspiration losses, when soil water content reached the 50% of available water content. Considering the Bw rates, the plants treated with Bw2% showed 34% and 19% more biomass and 36% and 66% more panicles than Bw0% and Bw4%, respectively. The Bw2% decreased the soil pH (7.79 versus 7.85) and electrical conductivity (286 versus 307 µS/cm) compared to Bw0%, which was not different from Bw4%. No differences were observed in BD between Bw0% and Bw2% (on average 1.28 g/m³), while BD decreased in Bw4% (1.06 g/m³). The findings of both experiments highlighted that the appropriate type and dose of biochar could improve soil properties and help quinoa plants to grow better under water-limited conditions. Full article

Soil salinity, drought, and increasing temperatures are serious environmental issues that drastically reduce crop productivity worldwide. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an important crop for food security under the changing climate. This study examined the physio-biochemical responses, plant growth, and grain yield of four quinoa genotypes (A7, Titicaca, Vikinga, and Puno) grown in pots containing normal (non-saline) or salt-affected soil exposed to drought and elevated-temperature treatments. Combinations of drought, salinity, and high-temperature stress decreased plant growth and yield more than the individual stresses. The combined drought, salinity, and heat stress treatment decreased the shoot biomass of A7, Puno, Titicaca, and Vikinga by 27, 36, 41, and 50%, respectively, compared to that of control plants. Similar trends were observed for grain yield, chlorophyll contents, and stomatal conductance. The combined application of these three stresses increased Na concentrations but decreased K concentrations in roots and shoots relative to control. Moreover, in the combined salinity, drought, and high-temperature treatment, A7, Puno, Titicaca, and Vikinga had 7.3-, 6.9-, 8-, and 12.6-fold higher hydrogen peroxide contents than control plants. All four quinoa genotypes increased antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, and POD) to overcome oxidative stress. Despite A7 producing the highest biomass under stress, it did not translate into increased grain production. We conclude that Puno and Titicaca are more tolerant than Vikinga for cultivation in salt-affected soils prone to drought and heat stress. Full article

Quinoa is a multi-purpose vegetable, grain, and forage crop, due in part to the high nutritional value of its aerial parts. This work evaluates quinoa genotype characteristics as a starting point for a better understanding of multi-purpose cultivation. Ten cultivars of quinoa were studied on soddy-podzolic soils: Brightest Brilliant, Red Faro, and Cherry Vanilla from the US (USA 1–3); Titicaca (KY1) from Denmark; Regalo (KY2), a cultivar selected by the Baer Seed Research Center for southern Chile; as well as Q1–Q5, UAE cultivars of various ecological and geographical origins. Quinoa plants were divided into three parts (lower, middle, and upper). The Q3 and Q4 cultivars produced the maximum fresh weight (38.7 g and 35.4 g, respectively) and dry matter (5.6 g and 5.3 g, respectively). The leaf mass and stems comprised 25% and 75% of the lower parts, versus 50–60% and 40–50% of the middle parts, respectively. Stems made up about 15% of the upper parts. The KY1 and Q5 cultivars produced the highest results (4.08 and 4.23 g, respectively). Protein concentrations of the quinoa grains were relatively high, with up to 14.0% grain protein in the USA2 cultivars. Leucine and isoleucine were the most abundant amino acids in quinoa grains, ranging from 6.7 to 9.2 g/100 g of protein. In contrast, methionine was the least abundant amino acid with less than 1.5 g/100 g of protein. Full article

This study was conducted to assess the effect of seed pre-treatment “priming” with zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) on the improvement in germination in three quinoa genotypes, “ICBA-Q5”, “Puno” and “Titicaca”, under different salinity levels and to characterize some physiological traits of seed tolerance to salinity. The germination tests were conducted to assess the priming effect on germination. Samples of 50 quinoa seeds of the 3 genotypes were soaked in 1 g/L of ZnSO₄ solution for 8 h and then were dried under ambient temperature. Then, each seed sample was placed in a Petri dish containing filter paper imbibed with a salt solution of 300, 400 and 500 mM NaCl. The numbers of germinated seeds were noted every 24 h and seed samples were collected for reserve mobilization analysis. The results showed that, under control conditions, ICBCA-Q5 showed the highest germination percentage, followed by Puno and then Titicaca. The salinity level of 300 and 400 mM NaCl severely inhibited the seed germination in all of the tested genotypes and the concentration of 400 mM NaCl was considered the highest threshold for germination in the quinoa genotypes tested. The priming treatment improved the germination parameters and the improvement was more evident for germination speed and the final germination percentages that were generally increased by ZnSO₄ priming by more than 100% for all of the genotypes. Full article

Although the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on increasing plant growth in saline conditions have been well known, the mechanisms of induction of salinity tolerance, especially in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), are not fully understood. In the present work, two quinoa genotypes (Titicaca and Giza1) were treated with different SA concentrations (0, 0.75, and 1.5 mM) under varied irrigation water salinities (0, 7, 14, and 21 dS m⁻¹). Salinity decreased shoot and root growth, potassium (K⁺) concentration, and potassium to sodium ratio (K/Na) and increased sodium (Na⁺) and chlorine (Cl⁻) concentrations in both cultivars. Calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) concentrations increased in 7 dS m⁻¹ but decreased in higher salinities. The growth and salinity tolerance of Giza1 were higher, while the growth of Giza1 increased and of Titicaca decreased in high salinity. Salicylic acid at 0.75-mM concentration increased shoot and root growth and improved the ions concentration in favor of the plant, while the 1.5-mM concentration either had no significant effect or had a negative impact. The ions distribution estimated by K/Na selectivity and storage factor (SF) indicated quinoa accumulated more ions in roots under saline conditions. Salicylic acid increased NaSF, ClSF, and MgSF and decreased KSF and CaSF, meaning less Na⁺, Cl⁻, and Mg²⁺ and more K⁺ and Ca²⁺ transferred to shoots in SA-treated plants. Importantly, Giza1, as the more tolerant cultivar, had higher NaSF and ClSF and lower KSF, CaSF, and MgSF. In general, the concentrations of ions in roots were higher than in shoots. The results indicated more ions accumulation in the root could be one of the most important mechanisms of salinity tolerance in quinoa, and the more tolerant cultivar (Giza1) transferred less Na⁺ and Cl⁻ and more K⁺ and Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ to the shoot. Full article

Chenopodium quinoa is a pseudocereal species identified as a potential crop to mitigate world food security. It has the ability to adapt to diverse agro-ecosystems ranging from sea level to over 4000 masl. Its cultivation in Morocco began in 1999, as it is tolerance to drought, salinity, and frost, and it can grow on marginal soils. It has exceptional nutritional value, as it is rich in proteins, essential amino acids, mineral nutrients, trace elements, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids. The present study aims to evaluate the adaptation of 14 quinoa varieties and lines from four different origins through fourteen agro-morphological characters. The experimental trials were conducted at five contrasted agro-climatic sites across the central part of Morocco. The data analysis showed high variability among the tested varieties and between sites for all assessed traits. The Meknes (foot-hill plain) site was the most productive; its grain yield reached 78.6 qx/ha. At the Rabat (coastal land) and Berrechid (continental plain) sites, grain production was respectively 56.4 and 45.9 qx/ha. The SW2 Moroccan line produced the highest grain yield that reached 78.3 qx/ha across sites. The Danish variety Titicaca presented the best harvest index (HI = 0.69) as well as the best “thousand kernel weight” (TGW = 3.4 g). As the mildew infection evaluation, the Vikinga and Titicaca varieties ranked the most sensitive to Peronospora farinosa. The germination rates of the harvested seeds were prejudiced by the sites’ high temperatures and were low in Tinejdad (oases site) and El Kbab (mountain plateau). The best average germination rate across sites was that of the Puno variety (84.5%). According to the Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction analysis (AMMI), 23% of the grain yield variability is due to the genotype, while 32% is due to the site by the variety interaction contribution to the production variability. AMMI analysis also ranked the varieties according to their productivity and stability value. Accordingly, two varieties that have yielded above the overall average (42.7 qx/ha) are considered stable; those are Riobamba and W11, which is a local selected line. Titicaca, ILLPA, Atlas cultivars and the SW2 local line presented the best grain yield in one of the experimental sites but performed not as well on the others. Full article